Stores & Markets in Mercer Island

Nestled near the banks of the Columbia River, scores of leafy fruit trees bask in the sun's mild rays, free from the shock of hail or snow. This is Tiny's farm, which benefits from a unique microclimate ideal for growing stone fruits, whether those are their 10 peach varieties, six types of cherries, or nectarines glanced at by Medusa. Apples and pears flourish at a second, cooler farm location, and a bevy of heirloom tomatoes and leafy greens take residence in the nourishing soil as well. Once these chemical-free morsels have been picked and inspected, staffers haul them off to pickup locations, farmers' markets, and doorsteps throughout the area. Families can fill their pantries with organic goodies by joining Tiny's CSA program, which does double duty by not only granting a heaping bag of fruits and veggies each week, but also directly supporting a local farm. Offices also benefit when they snag a weekly office fruit box full of energy-boosting sweetness sure to stave off the sugar crash of break room donuts or water coolers filled with hummingbird nectar. :m]]

After producing a children's educational video about local produce and healthy eating called Earth to Table, ChefShop founders Tim Mar and Mauny Kaseberg capitalized on their passion for locally sourced fare in 1998 with an extensive online database of artisan farmers and food experts. Today, ChefShop connects shoppers with top-shelf ingredients and produce, from free-range turkeys to fruit from central Washington or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Italy. Before stocking them on their virtual shelves, the ChefShop team ensures each item is raised and developed using time-honored techniques and is run through a gauntlet of quality-assurance taste tests, meetings with farmers, and food fights with the preeminent experts in food fights: middle-school rebels.

Clients peruse the ever-updated inventory for goodies such as sustainable line-caught seafood, decades-aged balsamic vinegar, or rare Sardinian bottarga, filling their kitchen repertoire with handy recipes along with the top-shelf ingredients. Aspiring cooks master a range of cooking styles under professional chefs in ChefShop's cooking classes, ranging from the creation of rich Italian pastas to fashioning delectable small plates and tapas.

Kim and Jim Oswalt opened Gemini Fish Market to bring the finest fresh, frozen, and live fish and seafood to the tables of their neighbors. At a young age Jim was working in multiple segments of the seafood industry, ranging from commercial smoking to large-scale processing. His lifetime passion for seafood has afforded Gemini Fish Market certain connections, allowing them to procure fresh modern delicacies such as North Atlantic sea scallops, Maine lobster, and premium Hawaiian exotics such as hand-line caught swordfish. They have also enlisted the help of chef Dave Gipson to create specialties such as crab cakes, salmon burgers, and fresh dips and spreads.

Kim and Jim also focus on superior quality, sustainable fisheries, and best-catch methods, which they believe lead to healthier oceans and healthier customers. The passionate pair fills their website with free seafood facts and cooking and preparation tips, as well as recipes such as sea scallops over wilted spinach and Chef Dave’s fish tacos.

Fischer Meats has been selecting, stocking, smoking, and slicing fresh meats for more than 100 years. Since 1910, the shop's staff has aided customers in filling their freezers, tables, and underground bunkers with quality beef, poultry, and seafood, paired with marinades, rubs, and recipes. The shop makes preparing meaty meals easy by putting together meat packages as well as curing and smoking cuts. Handmade jerky comes in both spicy and sweet varieties.

Trident Seafoods stocks premium smoked and canned seafood and frozen fish fare, enabling fishyphiles to enjoy a healthful and delicious sea-originating meal. Stop in to peruse the store's selection of smoked salmons, and compare and contrast the flavor bouquets of the smoked wild-caught Pacific fish ($6.95 for eight ounces) to the wild, smoked sockeye variety ($13.95 for eight ounces). Trident Seafoods also offers gourmet premium canned and frozen fish products, ensuring ease and olfactory comfort during seafood transport. Grab the pubhouse battered cod ($7.59) for a taste of Her Majesty's favored meal, or opt for the panko-crusted tilapia ($14.99) or a can of the garlic-pepper salmon ($5.95 for 6.5 ounces).

When Jerrod Sessler was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer in 1999, he found a link between his diet and his illness—and he sought the nutrients of organic produce to help him fight it. Sessler founded Freggies to offset the then-high prices and low availability of organic produce, and today, the company delivers Organic Trade Association–certified fruits and vegetables throughout the Seattle area. Participants can set up recurring deliveries of Freggies' latest harvest or create their own boxes from whatever produce is in season, from avocados, chard, and fennel, to coconuts, pears, and baby bok choy. Freggies also stocks dry goods such as dried fruit, citrus juice, and Natural Planet Organics dog food.